This invention relates to ostomy bags and more particularly to a disposable ostomy bag liner for use with a conventional ostomy bag.
Conventional ostomy bags for colostomy and some ileostomy patients are frequently changed at least once per day. The cost of such bags is significant, especially where the patient must bear the entire cost of a supply of ostomy bags.
To reduce the number of conventional ostomy bags required for colostomy and some ileostomy patients, various schemes have been suggested to provide ostomy bag liners, allowing such liners to be discarded at least once per day and allowing the conventional ostomy bag to be used for perhaps one week or more. If the cost of such liners is relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of the conventional ostomy bags, the patient can enjoy a significant cost saving.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,493 to Galindo discloses a colostomy bag with disposable liner which requires the use of a separate plastic flange which must be pulled into the liner so as to provide a liquid-proof connection about an opening in the bag liner with an opening in the colostomy bag. It will be appreciated that often ostomy patients are aged and do not have the dexterity required to manipulate such a flange, making the use of this device frustrating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,027 Gilchrist et al. discloses a disposable ostomy bag liner which has an affixed apertured collar designed to extend over a collar peripheral surface of a fastening element. There appears to be no disclosure of means for venting gas from the liner and therefore it is possible the liner could expand as gas is admitted into the liner.
The deficiencies in the devices described in the above two patents indicate that there is a need for an ostomy bag liner for use by colostomy and some ileostomy patients which is easy to install in a conventional ostomy bag, which has provisions to allow for the escape of gas admitted into the liner and which is relatively inexpensive to produce. The present invention addresses the above needs.